Disclaimer: I do not own the characters featured on the show Castle, they belong to the creator of the show, ABC and the others who do own them.
A/N #1: Really glad getting what I did for the last chapter so I'll start on my thank yous for that! TORONTOSUN (It was nice to see you liked how everyone was concerned for Beckett along with Castle. And happy you're still enjoying the song from Queen!) and
Mb (Great you though the first half of the chapter was interesting again! And not surprised you see Corwin as a suspect still with what he did at the start of the chapter. I'm not surprised you had flashbacks to how Beckett acted towards Castle at the start of the show. I wanted to bring that back a little but show the difference in their relationship with her apologizing to him about snapping at him. And not surprised you mentioned more information, lol, always how a case starts. You're welcome for the first half of the chapter! I was glad you thought the same about the second half of the chapter, wanted it to be interesting at the very least! And yeah, I wanted to bring in Skye with a connection to the Vernons and also a sort of historical aspect with the Hamptons, though of course those families are all made up by me, lol. With your question about the Vernons attaching to Beckett, it's because she knew them and she's the only one around them that can sense them. Basic explanation but also she's kept them with her to keep away from Julia of course. Oh and I figure with more time experiencing stuff like that Beckett's abilities would be growing stronger. Not surprised at your reaction to the cliffhanger and more questions of course but there'll be answers! You're welcome for sharing the second half of the chapter!).
Thanks for the reviews, I loved reading them and appreciate the time taken to write them out and send them my way!
A/N #2: The title of this chapter is a lyric from the song I'm in Love with My Car written by Roger Taylor, from the Queen album A Night at the Opera.
I'll Have To Forget Her
"Mrs. Corwin, put the gun down," Brad yelled at the woman, standing just past the doorway with Beckett and Darnley, all their weapons drawn.
"I didn't mean to," the woman replied, her hand slightly shaking as it was pointing the weapon at her husband.
"Delia, it's Kate," Beckett said since she'd met the woman a few times already.
Looking at her over her shoulder, Mrs. Corwin asked, "You know how he is."
"Actually we don't, we haven't had a chance to talk to you," Beckett said, speaking gently in the hopes of calming the woman down. "And we're not going to get that chance if you shoot him."
Staying behind the others, Castle was watching the woman's hand in case she turned it towards them. But she was soon lowering that hand and the gun and he stepped up to the doorway watching while Brad was handcuffing her. Letting the chief pass him with Darnley, he walked into the room and stood with Beckett at the side of the bed before they were suddenly being ushered back out by nurses and a doctor. "I was going to ask him if he'd been shot."
"He wasn't," Beckett replied, making sure quickly her gun was set in its holster before she was turning to him. "What pushed her?"
"The divorce?" Castle asked before he was getting his phone out of his pocket when his text alert sounded. "Oh, I guess we're still not talking to Corwin," he told her after he'd read the message.
"We're talking to his wife first?" Beckett asked him.
Nodding Castle said, "Good thing Eaton's not there," not surprised when she was nodding her head in agreement before they made their way to the elevators. Since they were alone he was about to ask how she was doing when she was speaking first though she was looking outside while she did so.
"We need to talk to Skye," Beckett said.
"Are you sure?" Castle asked.
"I don't know how much longer I can stand this," Beckett said.
Since she had a frown on her face, Castle guessed, "Are you keeping them with you?"
"I kind of have to," Beckett replied. She looked at him and then said, "I can't let them go to Julia."
"When do you want to talk to her?" Castle asked.
"After we talk to Mrs. Corwin," Beckett said firmly before they were stepping outside of the elevator car.
"Alright Mrs. Corwin-"
"Please stop calling me that," the woman snapped. "I'm not going to be that for much longer." She smirked and then said, "My husband's screwing a younger woman. So I get everything."
"I hate to burst that bubble," Darnley couldn't help saying. "But your prenup mentioned something about not hurting each other."
"Murder," Delia told him, anger still in her voice. "I wasn't going to murder him."
"Then why exactly were you there with a gun?" Beckett asked, there with the carpenter and Brad.
"I wanted to scare him," Delia sighed. "I told him we needed to discuss the separation of our wealth but he wouldn't listen to me… I was shooting before I realized it," she added before the chief was speaking a little sternly.
"I have a hard time believing that," Brad said. "If he hadn't been in a nearly flat position you would have struck him."
"I didn't, that gun is his," Delia said before she stopped herself.
"Ms. William," Brad said when she was looking away from them. "Continue or I'll start to consider charges of obstruction."
"Alright," Delia replied. "But I never believed him about that gun. He said it had a sensitive trigger."
Sharing a glance with his friend, Darnley then said, "Alright, what was his response to your request?"
"He told me he was going to nail me for having an affair," Delia said, rolling her eyes. "But I shot back at him he was screwing that Eaton woman so it didn't matter." She hesitated and said, "He said he was going to push through the divorce and I managed to get him to say he was going to get that Automotive museum."
"He said that," Beckett commented.
"Yeah, but I told him he was a liar," Delia replied, shaking her head. "I know the Vernons were killed but there's no way he'd manage to get it. Eileen told me there was a clause in the deed that he couldn't get it. Bernard knew Owen wanted to get the collection of the cars and take them to our house." She paused and then told the three, "He has enough space for about twenty cars. The rest he would have just put in storage we have at the house too."
"What did he say he would do exactly?" Brad asked.
"He'd buy it," Delia said. "I told him they would stop him but he told me I was stupid." She shrugged and said, "I didn't want anything to do with the place anyway."
"No, but you could have gotten money from that collection of cars," Darnley told her.
"Waste of time," Delia replied. "I just want to leave with my girlfriend and settle down permanently in the city."
"Girlfriend," Brad said. "And who is that?"
"Her name is Rachel Andrews," Delia said simply. "Of course Owen knows about her like I know about that Eaton chick but…" she said before she trailed off and shrugged. "It doesn't matter really. But I'll start pushing his lawyer to get everything done so I can spend Christmas with Rachel." She looked at Brad and asked, "Can I go now?"
"I'm afraid not," the chief said, walking around the table to her. "You're under arrest, you did shoot at your husband, unintentional or not."
"Wait!" Delia said in protest once she had the cuffs on her. "I know something you have to know."
"About what?" Beckett asked, confused at her wording.
"About the Vernons, why that stupid museum was so important," Delia said. "You have to know about some of the history here. What about the legends?" She then made an annoyed sound in the back of her throat and said to Beckett before addressing everyone, "I wish your husband had been here. He would know all about the jewels of Lek."
"Lek? Alright, what exactly are those?" Brad asked, letting her go and having her sit again.
"The East End dozen, have you heard of them?" Delia responded with her own question. At the nods of all three she said, "Their families came here in the sixteen hundreds, all of them had jewelry they brought with them, some they had to sell but they had at least one piece they kept with them. Those would be… insanely expensive today or so my soon to be ex said all the time. If you got them, you'd be… I don't even known how rich," before Beckett was questioning her about the jewels.
"And where exactly are these jewels?" she asked. "Not to mention the fact that they're all together."
"Well, I heard the families intermarried at first and one heir got a hold of them," Delia said. She snorted and then told the others, "Owen was an idiot."
"Why?" Darnley asked.
"Because Bernard was the second tier of families here in the Hamptons," Delia said, shaking her head.
"Aren't you part of that first tier?" Brad reminded her.
Making a face, Delia replied, "I'm so distant in relation the only thing I can claim is the last name. But the location… if they even exist, is with whoever that heir is. But see? It's ridiculous but I think Owen was stupid enough to believe it, kill for it," adding the last firmly.
"Alright, stay here," Brad said. "I'll see what can be done."
"Are you going to let her go?" Beckett asked once they were out of the room.
"I might, I don't know that the DA would really bother with this because we're testing the gun," Brad said. "I better make a phone call."
"And before that?" Beckett asked when he didn't move.
"Anything you're getting from them?" Brad said in response.
"Wait, wait," Castle said, hurrying to her from observation before he was taking her arm before she was glancing at him and then speaking to the others.
"It's alright, and no," Beckett replied. "But I have no clue what that means if that's what you're asking. I told Rick that we needed to talk to Skye."
"Go ahead and do that now," Brad said with a nod. "I need to make a couple of phone calls remember."
Watching him go, Beckett then turned to Castle and said, "Now?"
"I hope so," he replied before they were turning to Darnley.
"Am I invited or is it just you two?" the carpenter asked them.
"Come with us, unless you have something you want to do," Beckett told him.
Shaking his head, Darnley said, "I'm good to go."
As they were heading to the breakroom, Beckett asked her husband, "You heard what she was saying right?"
"Of course," Castle answered immediately. "And I've heard of this so called collection. But to be honest it's nothing but a myth."
"I'm in shock," Darnley said as they entered the room before the writer was giving him a look before he was speaking seriously to him and his wife.
"I've heard this story ever since I've bought our house," Castle said. "David and Rebecca told me and they also said that the story about it seemed to go crazy in the early part of the 2000s. They were digging a backyard the next beach over from us to the east and found an earring that contained a moonstone."
"Is that supposed to be part of the collection?" Beckett asked him.
"It is," Castle answered. "Though nothing is specifically described except for one thing. A bracelet made of sapphires, diamonds and moonstones. But what that looks like… I have no idea. Which is why I doubt the story, a piece that old would be more well-known I think. At the very least by word of mouth."
"That's a good point," Darnley commented. "Though I will point out these pieces are from the 1600s."
"Still," Castle said. He wasn't surprised when the other two were still looking at him and he said, "It's what happened after that earring was found. People started coming in and digging up the beach by it since it was a public one which damaged it. David said the police had to guard it for a couple days."
"Was that earring ever dated?" Brad asked, having walked up to them in time to hear.
"Yeah, 1800s," Castle answered. "So not even close."
"And there hasn't been anything ever found," Darnley said. "Anything from that time period they never connected to the story?"
"No," Castle replied. "This wouldn't have been a myth. But you see why I don't believe it."
"True," Beckett said. "There's a difference between a beach and a graveyard."
"And we knew there were actually jewels in that case," Castle said swiftly. "We're calling her now right."
Beckett was about to say yes but her phone suddenly began to ring and she hurried to answer it when she saw it was Skye. "Hey, I needed to talk to you," she said as soon as she had answered.
"Oh, I need to too, but to all the others too," the investigator replied.
"They're here," Beckett said before she saw Skye was turning it into a video call. She agreed to it swiftly before she said, "Maybe you should go first," feeling like she should say that.
"Though you and I need to talk immediately after," Skye said after she had frowned and studied her friend for a moment. Shaking herself she then looked behind the writer and said, "Is there a TV you can cast your phone on."
"Yes, just a second," Beckett replied, looking at Castle when he was moving to turn on the TV in the room. As soon as she could, she cast her phone and when they could all see Skye she said, "Okay, what do you have?"
Pausing for a moment, the investigator said, "Yeah, we're talking after this." Skye then turned to Mary and took the pouch she held before she said, "I had to get deep inside the engine, but I found this."
"And what's in it?" Brad asked with a frown.
Opening the pouch, Skye was upending it and holding the items that dropped from inside, looking up to see everyone on the screen was looking at Castle. "What's going on?" she asked.
"It said they were in a piece," Castle was telling the others. "But that's the type of gemstones they said were in that bracelet."
"Wait, that's not all," Skye replied. She let her wife take the back and remove the metal bracelet inside. "They were pried out of here," she said. "We looked at the holders for the gems and you can see fresh tool marks. Extremely fresh tool marks."
"Have you heard of the jewels of Lek?" Beckett asked.
"Lek?" Skye said, unable to help snorting in response to that. "That's a river in Holland."
"They never told me why that name," Castle said when the others were looking at him. "Were the gemstones damaged?"
"No, and they're all here in the bag, we counted," Mary said.
"You need to keep those in the safe," Brad replied.
"You wouldn't want us to keep it in our bank?" Skye commented.
"No, you opened the box in your house right?" Brad asked. When he got a nod in response he said, "Then keep it there, I know how far back it is from the street and your windows are tinted."
"They are, unless someone came up to the window they wouldn't have seen," Mary said.
"And I would have seen that person in the window," Skye added. She put everything back into the pouch and said, "I understood the note once I saw everything."
"Diamonds," Castle said. "Mason did," he added, shaking his head. Something came to mind before he said, "Can I see the bracelet itself again?"
After she'd taken it out Mary said, "The setting looks old."
"I know, that's why I wanted another look at it," Castle replied.
"Do you think it's old enough?" Beckett asked her husband while he was studying the bracelet.
"It would need to be shown to an expert," Castle said.
"Do you know any?" Skye asked.
"Mother does," Castle replied.
"Great, can you two get a picture of that on a sheet or something?" Brad told the pair on the TV.
"Of course," Mary said. "As soon as we hang up."
"And we'll send it to you," Skye said.
"Have you gone through the entire engine?" Darnley asked.
"We have and that was it," Skye replied. "I need to put the engine back together, but that's going to take some time so we decided it would be better to contact you first."
"Alright, call again if there's anything at all," Brad said. "I have to make some phone calls about the Vernons now."
"Sure," Skye said before she was looking at Beckett.
"They can be here for this," she said, looking behind Skye since Mary had reappeared.
"Great, I'm glad Rick is," the investigator said. "So what happened?"
"They…" Beckett started to say though she was hesitating since she wasn't sure how she could describe it.
"You sensed them there," Skye supplied. She wasn't surprised when her friend nodded rapidly and she then said, "I'm not surprised. You had no visual?"
"No, I just feel them nearby," Beckett replied. "And I suddenly realize something that was said… if that makes sense."
"It does," Skye said. "That was how communications went for me when I was first learning my abilities. How're you feeling?"
"Unsettled," Beckett said immediately.
"Can you have them go to you?" Castle asked.
"Oh sure," Skye replied. "To be honest they'd like to do that because they're aware I'll be able to speak with them more easily. And because I knew them a little better."
"Then why did they go to Kate?" Darnley said in obvious confusion.
"She was there at the crime scene," Skye said simply. "Better?" she then asked Beckett.
"How-" she said as that sense of others being in the room was suddenly gone.
"I don't know if you want to know," Skye commented.
"You just called them to you?" Darnley guessed.
"Yes," Skye said. "Now, you won't need to worry about them once you find out who did it."
"You can help them pass on?" Castle asked.
"I can," Skye said with a brief nod. "And you were worried about that."
"Extremely, I remember the first time Julia did that and it was just one person," Castle said firmly.
"She won't need to," Skye assured her.
"Have they told you anything?" Beckett asked, having been watching her friend.
"Just that the myth is real," Skye said, frowning before her wife was speaking in obvious confusion.
"But what about other pieces?" Mary asked her.
"They hid them in other places," Skye said after a moment. "And there are… only two other pieces. Rubies and emeralds. A necklace and a brooch." She shook her head and said, "They said look where you found the engine."
"The house," Castle said. "Think Brad would let us go?"
"Likely," Darnley said. "It seems like this is going to be our motive for murder."
"What about Corwin?" Castle asked.
"He just needs the footage from the street to see if his car left at all," Beckett said.
"I would say he could have walked to another car but I'm starting to doubt he's the killer," Castle said. When his wife and Darnley looked at him he said, "Seriously, it's too obvious to be honest. He was talking about getting the museum but the deed was still at the crime scene."
"Yeah, Bernard can't remember why he had that," Skye said. "But he thinks he was forced to have it wherever he was."
"When they can tell you more text me," Beckett said firmly.
"I will," Skye said with a nod. "And Rick? Stay close to Kate, I don't know how she'll be after that."
"That was my plan," Castle said, glancing at his wife.
"Alright, I'm going to get started on this engine, we'll be in touch," Skye said, not surprised at her friend's immediate response.
"Wait, that's all you have?" Beckett asked.
Skye was about to speak when she paused and then glanced to the side before she nodded and then told the others, "Bernard just told me something about the two tiers."
"Two tiers… you mean the old families here in the Hamptons?" Beckett asked.
"The… oh that's right," Skye started to say before she realized what her friend was talking about. "Yeah, but that makes sense doesn't it?"
"And it's a lot of people," Brad commented from the doorway. "Sorry to interrupt, but I just got word from Emerson who was looking at the video from the community where everyone lives."
"And?" Skye asked on the screen.
"That there's no movement from either the Vernon home or Eaton," Brad said. "Corwin stayed the night and the Vernon car left and came back but one person got out and wasn't the height either vic was, they were five ten."
"No detail?" Darnley asked.
"Unfortunately no," Brad said. "And since it looks like we're going to be on names now you three are free to go." He wasn't surprised when they were immediately protesting and he stopped them saying, "I don't need their lawyers to find out civilians were investigating them. You're allowed to be here by the mayor's command but remember, you're still civilians. And they all have good lawyers."
"I think he's serious," Castle told his wife and Darnley.
"He is, but he'll call us of course," the carpenter said.
"If I find anything," Brad said firmly before they were all looking to the TV screen.
"We'll just go, like I said I need to get the engine back together," Skye said.
"What about that engine?" Mary then asked.
"Keep it," Brad said. "Once we hear about a will or anything and who it'll go to specifically then we'll be in touch with you."
"I had a feeling that was the plan," Skye said. "We'll be in touch," she added before she and Mary were saying goodbye to everyone.
"Are you regretting taking it apart?" the doctor asked her wife, looking on while the investigator was checking the time on her watch.
"No, that bracelet might be a start for them," Skye replied, looking at her wife again. "Though I hope the other pieces can be found."
"Also that they're confirmed," Mary reminded her.
"True," Skye said. "So, are you ready?"
"Just let me know when you need the video," Mary told her simply. She waited for her wife to finish constructing the engine and when she eventually was said, "I hate to say it-"
"Oh don't worry," Skye interrupted her. "I have no way to test it so we're good." She wasn't surprised when her wife made a face and told her, "I know, but this was for a criminal investigation." She paused and then said to her wife, "That works right?"
"I hope so," Mary replied before they were putting it into the safe and her wife was closing and making sure the door locked behind them. "Good, now let's take a shower."
"You… okay," Skye said swiftly.
"Not much protesting on that one," Mary teased her, straightening up when her wife stepped up to her.
"Not really," Skye said before they were leaning into each other. They kissed tenderly before they were parting and she said, "Come on."
After they were walking hand in hand together to their room, Skye and Mary were taking a long shower together. They ended up taking their time in pleasuring each other manually, kissing until they reminded themselves to wash up before they were stepping out.
"How're you doing?" Mary asked her wife after they had changed and were leaving their bedroom.
"Good, they weren't with us just now. If that's what you're wondering," Skye said.
"I figured," Mary replied. "But bringing them to you?"
Smiling, Skye said, "I wouldn't have been standing if it was that bad." They reached their kitchen and she said, "We have some time until the girls are here. Would you want to go swimming? Studio?"
Cupping her wife's face, Mary brushed her lips to hers lightly and then told her, "Neither, I want to play."
"Oh, then why did we get dressed?" Skye asked jokingly.
Rolling her eyes, Mary was then turning her attention to her wife fully when she was kissing her. Responding as eagerly as she could they were tangling their tongues together hungrily and grasping at one another. When they managed to stop she carefully pulled away and told her, "Not that kind of play."
"I figured, let's go before we waste our time," Skye said, hoping she was making sense since she hadn't been unaffected by that kiss. When they'd let go of each other she took her hand and asked while they were heading to the game room, "You want to play a game of pool?"
"No, I want to watch you," Mary said, smiling when her wife was giving her the expected response as soon as she'd finished speaking.
"Watch me do what?" Skye asked with a slight frown.
"Play your simulator game," Mary answered simply.
Glancing at her wife, Skye looked ahead of them and said, "Are you serious?"
"I am," Mary replied. "I can't watch you?"
"I'm not sure why you want to," Skye said.
"It's very interesting," Mary said simply. When her wife was stopping and turning to her she said, "It is, the expressions on your face and your ease with it…"
"You wouldn't want to go back up to our room?" Skye asked her with a smile.
"I don't think so," Mary said. "We don't have that kind of time. But I'm glad you were asking to make love."
"Why?" Skye said, a little startled.
"It means you're alright," Mary replied simply and smiling at her. She took her wife's kiss, having expecting that, but when Skye was sweeping her tongue over her bottom lip she was a little startled. They kissed for a bit longer before her wife was gently pulling back and she said, "Will you?"
"I think you know the answer to that already," Skye said with a smile before they were walking into the room just as her wife began to speak, making her stop walking so they could face each other.
"Just so you know, I'm fine with that," Mary said.
"Fine? That's it?" Skye asked in amusement.
"I want you tonight Rose," Mary said firmly.
"I'm glad to know," Skye said slowly. She smiled when her wife laughed and they were kissing each other briefly before they were moving to head into the game room hand in hand.